Ukrainian consul was allowed to visit movie maker Oleg Sentsov and civil activist Olexandr Kolchenko, who were illegally detained, judged and now imprisoned in Russia. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin tweeted this on December 15.
“Today, after the consul’s request filed yet in August, he was finally allowed to visit Sentsov and Kolchenko. They currently expect a prison transfer. The guys keep their powder dry and they’re very grateful for any support from Ukraine. They want to go home, and so do we”, Klimkin wrote.
In August, North Caucasus District Military Court sentenced Sentsov to 20 years of imprisonment. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10. Later, the Supreme Court recognized sentences as legal ones.
Ukraine’s Ombudswoman Valeria Lutkovska named the sentence "a descent-based discimination". The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly demanded to release the Ukrainian citizens.
The EU also condemned the detaining and opening of the criminal case against Sentsov, saying it “violates the basic standards of justice” and urging Russia to release him immediately.
